


Companionship, A Novel Concept

by laughingatlemons



Category: Kirby (Video Games)
Genre: Other, POV First Person, Slow Burn, idiots to lovers, mainly with the date system and tech sdkjfbsdf, really vague star trek inspiration, written in the form of logs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:01:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28034313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laughingatlemons/pseuds/laughingatlemons
Summary: Taken from the logs of a space explorer that picked up a stray clown along the way.[Read the notes; they contain context!]
Relationships: Magolor/Mark | Marx
Comments: 3
Kudos: 40





	1. From The Top

**Author's Note:**

> The dates on the logs in this fic are year/month/day, with months labeled 0-64 and days 1-20. This system is an auxiliary interstellar dating system originating on Halcandra but not their native/natural timekeeping. 
> 
> Certain context is confined to the notes because I felt it'd be unnatural to include in a character's personal logs. Sorry if it gets a bit nebulous ^^

DATE 8.62.7 LOG  
Well, for once I can't say today was uneventful.

I was expecting more of the same. Had been reading up on celestial events that have caused multidimensional rifts. Some of the examples were self-destructing clockwork stars and instances of immense power wielded by an unnamed rare species scattered across all known planes, whatever that means. Descriptions of the power needed were getting increasingly abstract and difficult to understand, so I was pretty wrapped up in figuring out what that meant when the Lor sounded an alarm for half a second before the whole ship shook.

I debated on just brushing it off as the ship's auto-navigation bugging out and assessing the damage later, but frankly the book was getting on my nerves. Some fresh not-air would be nice. So I threw on an acceptable outfit and a spell bubble and went out.

Sure enough, there's a dent in the side of the ship. About the size of a person. With a person in it. They were seemingly unconscious when they hit the side of the ship, their clothes burnt and tattered but their skin only minimally damaged. I did consider wedging them off the ship and leaving them to their fate out here, but that left a really bad taste in my mouth. I'm not exactly well equipped to deal with another person on board. It's not like I'm a doctor either. But I couldn't just leave them.

I pulled them up on deck, and it turned out they weren't fully unconscious. Or they just woke up after I moved them around. I don't know. They became violent right away, but didn't seem to know what was going on. Luckily I'd put on some protective magic that nullified their magic attacks, but their teeth were still pretty damn sharp. My right hand is out of commission for now because of that (still tempted to ditch them!!). It didn't escalate any further because shortly afterwards they just passed out on the deck. I was kinda worried they just ended up dead right after I tried to save them. Maybe I'm poisonous to their species, haha. They're still alive though. I bet they were running on adrenaline and crashed.

I managed to get them into the medbay and bandage what I could of their injuries. Again, not a doctor, but I can manage some first aid. I'm always glad this ship isn't some tiny little boat with few facilities. Still puzzled over the mismatch between the damage to their clothes and body though. I'll have to ask them some questions when they wake up. I left them one of my dresses to put on. It's gonna be weird having a stranger wearing my clothes, but their others aren't exactly in any state to be worn.

I'm also curious about how they got here and about their wings. They look to be artificial, but they're firm in their back with no scarring where they would have been implanted. Not that I'd be tampering with them.

I'm still reeling from the whole experience and my hand is starting to hurt again. I'm going to try and relax until they wake up. I've set sensors to notify me when there's significant motion in the medbay.

DATE 8.62.8 LOG  
The new visitor woke up around midday. I brought them some of the plasticy frosted donuts I had sitting around, both because they were probably hungry and because it'd be a good way to get them on my side so I could ask questions. They devoured the whole bag. Literally. They ate the bag too. It was... uncomfortable. I'm not sure what their deal is. They then demanded I give them their socks back, despite their destroyed state. They wouldn't listen to me until I gave them their dang socks. Maybe I should take into account the jester hat they'd been wearing. Maybe that explains their eccentricity. Or maybe they're just a weirdo. I don't think there's a link between being a clown and eating garbage, actually, scratch all that. The clownery is just another eccentricity.

After they were fed and socked, they were willing to talk. He was willing. His name's Marx. He wouldn't go into detail, but he had been caught up in the explosion of a clockwork star, which sorta floored me. First off, he SURVIVED that?? Second, what kind of fate is that, that I'd been reading about that situation?

I don't believe much in fate, but it's hard to write that off as coincidence. I wonder what else he has in store for me. He went quiet after telling me about that and just kept staring at my hand. I think he might feel bad for biting me. As he should!

I sat with him a bit longer, and I hoped he'd go more into detail or maybe tell more about himself, but I didn't ask and he didn't talk. Not today, I guess.

He's staying in the medbay for at least a few more nights, and I'm changing course to a nearby planet I've visited previously for supplies and to dock so I can fix that dent. I guess I've got a new journeying pal, unless he wants to leave once he's recovered. It's always been a bit lonely on the Lor, but I wasn't exactly looking to change that. Maybe it'll turn out for the better. I'll have to start making sure there's enough food for two now though. Maybe two and a half, based on how he destroyed those donuts. It'd be a lot easier if the replicators stopped breaking every month! I'll start working on fixing those when my hand gets better-- the dent can be worked on with imprecise one-handed skill but the replicators are finicky enough without going in all clumsily.

If he bites me again I'm ditching him.

DATE 8.62.10 LOG  
We docked today on the planet Tarithni. I've been working on the dent first before going out for supplies, to give Marx a bit longer to rest. I'm not just leaving him alone on my ship, so I'll be dragging him along when I step away from the Lor.

He hasn't left the medbay yet. I didn't forbid him from exploring, but I didn't explicitly permit it either. So maybe he's being cautious. He still doesn't really know more than my name and the fact he's on a ship now. It'll be a surprise when I tell him we docked.

I'm considering it lucky he didn't put a hole in the ship. He still had a good amount of momentum from the explosion, which makes me question his physiology even more. He has no broken bones. He was pacing the room yesterday. It's weird. I think about him a lot now, but he's new and strange and it's only been a couple days since this big thing happened and turned stuff all around. I think it's justified. I'm still trying to figure out where he'll eventually sleep if he sticks around. I have couches?? Aside from the captain's quarters (Marx is not sleeping in my room), the other quarters have been converted to storage or amusement. In hindsight... why did I do that.

Marx aside, Tarithni is decently warm, though still a bit cool for comfort. Its sun is close and it's great to relax in; it makes it both easier and harder to work. I'm comfortable as I do my work, but I fell asleep a couple times when I just sat down to rest. There's a reason I come back to this planet. I should be able to get the Lor back in pristine shape before the end of tomorrow, nap breaks included.

I'm excited to get some more of that Tarithni spice mix I got last time. I don't remember what it's actually called. I still can't cook worth anything, but that stuff basically covers up your mistakes. I'll make up a list later, but I keep daydreaming about that.

DATE 8.62.12 LOG  
Restock day! I dragged Marx out to the nearby market. None of the shopkeeps recognized me from the past few times I've been here. I didn't really want to explain why I had a companion, so that was a relief. It was quiet there today!

I got my spice mix. I wonder what's in this stuff sometimes. I'm eating some shepherd's pie while I write this. It's hard to mess up, but the seasoning makes it more than just tolerable. Whatever it is, it's good. 

Marx was more chipper around others. It makes me wonder if he has something against me? He still hasn't been talking to me much. If he's going to stay, he might need to stop being so cold. He's definitely outgoing, though. He wandered off while I was shopping and I caught him in a peppy conversation with a vendor. I think he was trying to swindle the guy out of a pastry. And succeeding, for that matter. I have to say I can admire that. I mean, I wouldn't say that out loud. But it's true. And then he was casually chatting up other patrons with a mouth full of cake.

Aside from spices and necessities, I also found a really pretty pin shaped like a flower and ended up actually buying a few cakes from the guy Marx was scamming. I think I'll stay on Tarithni for a bit.

DATE 8.62.13 LOG  
I showed Marx around the Lor and invited him to leave medbay today. I figured I could give him the option of staying in the medbay bed or sleeping on one of the couches and he was stoked to sleep on a couch. Either the medbay beds are way less comfortable than I thought, or Marx is just weird. Both are equally likely.

It's not even been a week, and Marx has taken off his bandages and is looking almost perfect. I'm still not sure how long he was out in space, but now his wounds are all but gone. His physiology still intrigues me. 

He wasn't quite talkative on the tour, either. Mostly hms and huhs. I'm tempted to ask if something's wrong with me or my ship, but he's still practically a stranger. It's just so awkward! Ugh!! He's clearly capable of small talk and stuff, but he doesn't want to talk to me. I guess I should let it come naturally. I still don't know what his deal is in general.

I spent the rest of the day just reading out on the deck, anyway. I've been working through an old romance book. It's not generally my cup of tea, but everyone likes a little variety. And it's fun to laugh at the bad tropes. This one's pretty compelling though-- an immortal guard falls in love with his mortal prince and learns about true love and grief and stuff.

And speaking of tea, I got a new kind yesterday. It's... okay. It doesn't make me sick to my stomach, at least, but I wouldn't say it tasted good. It's kind of grassy in a bad way. I guess it's probably a health tea or something. I wasn't paying a lot of attention. 

My hand is almost back to normal, though still a little stiff, so I think I'll plan to work on the replicators tomorrow. I'll need to show Marx how to use them so he can stop wearing my clothes. It's still a bit weird having someone else I don't really know sharing my wardrobe. I mostly give him stuff I don't wear anymore, so I don't miss them, but they fit him poorly and they're MY things.

DATE 8.62.14 LOG  
My hand still isn't quite ready to be used, so I didn't make any progress on the replicators today. I decided to make breakfast though-- eggs, fruit, bread-- and it was pretty good. I'm not half bad at making eggs and the rest was just knifework. Kinda ugly, especially considering I can only use 1.5 hands, but they tasted fine.

Marx joined me at breakfast and actually spoke for once. He complained about the grassy tea (I'm trying to get rid of it pretty quick) and asked if he could borrow a book or something. Apparently he's been doing nothing but pacing, thinking, eating, fidgeting, and sleeping. I briefly worried about how much he might've been eating, but we're still on a planet, and I should be working on the dang replicators soon. I invited him to whatever entertainment he could find on the ship, just not the ship's console, of course.

He's actually been pretty chatty all day, about nothing in particular. Maybe he got over whatever was making him so prissy. I resorted to just putting on a few movies and dozing most of the day, since my plans to fix the replicators were kinda gone. Marx decided to stick with me and add his commentary as he watched. It was kind of annoying, but I guess it's better than the silent treatment.

I had another visitor for a short time; one of the people from Tarithni had gotten curious about the Lor here. I'm not exactly in a specified Starcutter parking space. I would've been more hospitable if I weren't dedicating the day to being as useless as possible. Also it might've been awkward having strangers outnumber me on my own ship.

DATE 8.62.15 LOG  
Good news: I finally got around to working on the replicators. Bad news: I wasn't able to figure out the problem. Yet again! I swear, these things break for absolutely NO reason and then they suddenly gain a reason for being broken weeks after I try to fix them! I don't get it! Man, I need to eat and I'm tired of making pit stops. Plus the replicator cooks better than I do. And now I have a stranger wearing my clothes and I can't even get him his own outfit. I considered grabbing him something from the market, but I was more caught up with food.

I wasted my whole day on that and now I'm eating my feelings in bed. With cake. 

I think I'll drop by the market again tomorrow and then leave Tarithni in the evening. I do want some more of that guy's cake and I'll pick up an outfit for Marx. 

DATE 8.62.16 LOG  
Back in space. I may have gotten too much cake today, but it should last a while. Should being the operative word. Between myself and Marx, that while might be pretty short.

I grabbed Marx a few outfits to wear instead of my dresses. Now I don't have to look at someone else parading around in my clothes! Apparently the new stuff's less comfortable though. Sucks for him. I told him about the replicators and how he could have his own clothes back in perfect condition after I got them fixed, and he seemed excited but doubtful. Which is fair. But he seemed more to be doubting me rather than the tech, buuuuut he still doesn't know me all too well. Maybe I should try and sit him down to get to know each other, now that he's actually talking to me.

I also need to approach the topic of whether or not he's staying. I don't know if I want him to stay, or if I even want to give him the option. Not to mention his thoughts on the matter. He's still just a random person I found floating out in space that was somehow involved in the explosion of a clockwork star. That's all I really know. I'm lucky he isn't some murderclown.

It's weird to think that I trust him at all. It's only been about a week. Without knowing him, I helped him and gave him a place to stay for a while. I think about him a lot, but then again, I haven't travelled with anyone since I was a child travelling with my parents.

Do I want him to stay? Do I want him to want to go, or do I want to kick him out? Do I want to get to know him or do I want to drop him off on whatever planet he'd like and let him just be a thing that happened for a while??

My head's starting to spin from questioning myself like this. Maybe I'm too trusting. Who knows. I'll talk to him tomorrow and see what I think then. I'm gonna stare at the stars out the window now.


	2. Chapter 2

DATE 8.62.17 LOG  
I'm excited about some things but I should probably chronicle what it is I'm getting worked up over first.

I spent most of the day getting ready to talk to Marx and then the rest actually talking to him. Serious conversation is exhausting. I bribed Marx with cake into sitting down and talking for a while. I don't think he would've listened if I hadn't.

I asked if he wanted to stay first. He didn't hesitate to say yes. He kinda said it like it should be obvious. I feel like he was only so immediate because of the cake, but I think he sincerely wants to stay with me. So I guess I have a new passenger aboard the Lor. It's gonna take more getting used to. I'm still doubting if this is the right choice, but I guess I could leave him later. He might hate me for it, but if I have a reason to leave him, I guess him hating me would be fine.

I told him how I just travel around and study all the time. It's a nice, quiet life, but he seemed to pity me upon hearing it. It makes me wonder WHY he wants to stay. It's not very interesting here, and he seems to be the easily bored type. Maybe he doesn't want me to be lonely, which would be pretty noble of him, but unnecessary. And something tells me he's not the selfless sort either.

Well, I don't really need to say 'something'. He basically told me himself. He told me about his past. He started a fight between celestial bodies, lied to a child, stole a wish, wished for power, and still got beaten by said child. I feel like I should be more upset about several of those points. Like him being a violent liar in the past. But the fact he told me that outright makes me think he isn't trying anything on me. I don't think he plans to steal the Lor or anything, and I'm pretty capable of beating his ass if he tries.

I did suspect something was up with his magic and his wings though. I wonder if his healing has to do with his wish. He's unwittingly become something for me to observe-- he's been marked by Ancient magic and boy am I about that! I barely restrained myself from showing it. I don't exactly want him to think I see him as an experiment, but I do want to learn more about how the power granted by the wish affects him and if the explosion of the clockwork star did anything else to him other than warp him through dimensions. Already I've noticed how naturally he uses his wings in place of arms, despite how he says he only got them just before being sent drifting off into space, though he does use his feet or mouth for a lot of tasks too.

We continued making small talk after the whole discussion of our pasts was over, until Marx finished his cake and got up to go wander around for a few hours, in his words. I'm not sure what I've gotten into with him, but now I'm more than interested.

I'm going to look into the specific clockwork star NOVA later, but I'm not sure I'll have any information on it, since I'm not sure it's been in this dimension before. It's a shame it's been destroyed though; I've heard rumors that people found blueprints for clockwork stars and were even beginning to build new ones, but the truly Ancient ones are irreplaceable...

I'll stop mourning now. I never did get to see the thing in person, so it doesn't really affect me if it's gone.

I'm now having dinner and I miss replicated food so badly. Seasoning can only do so much to save food. This fish is so rubbery. Maybe I need to look into actually learning to cook properly. I am... suffering.

DATE 8.62.18 LOG  
Today was devoted to reading. Not on purpose or anything, that's just what I defaulted to. 

I finished that romance novel I was reading. It got a little weird near the end, where the guard ended up being the village wise man and training up an apprentice before he chose to disappear forever. It was an okay book though. I'm not raring to reread it.

I also picked up that book about multidimensional rifts again. The thing about the unknown species' power still doesn't make a lot of sense but I guess I've witnessed the effects of the clockwork star thing now. It went on to talk about the mechanism by which Starcutters phase through dimensions (it's also a massive energy spike, just focused and contained within the ship's core, projected outwards to a portal). No matter how many times I read about it I'm endlessly amazed by the work of the Ancients. If only they made the replicators easier to repair.

Marx has been making paper stars next to me all day. He's pretty good at making them with his talons. He's also weirdly clingy? I told him again he could go wherever he pleased on the ship, but I guess he just wants company. He just rambles sometimes but never really tries to initiate conversation past that. 

I have yet to find any specific literature written about NOVA, but there's a lot of books to leaf through. Though I have learned that there were initially over 50 clockwork stars?? Some weren't stable enough and were destroyed immediately, and some fell apart merely from age. Which makes the NOVA thing worse...

Regardless, I'm still looking to see if I can find details on it. The purposes of clockwork stars are unclear but some had wish-fulfilling magic, and others may not have. Others may have served other undocumented purposes. Based on what Marx said, NOVA was known in his dimension-- at least to some-- for being a wish-granter. Is that as far as its purpose went? Who knows.

DATE 8.62.19 LOG  
I'm pretty certain I don't have any resources on NOVA. There are a few other named clockwork stars in one or two books I have, but no NOVA. So that's disappointing.

I dug up a cookbook compiled by one of my parents and I'm trying my hand at a vegetable stew tonight. I have to make some substitutions, being so far from Halcandra, but hopefully it turns out edible. I'm writing as I wait for it to... stew. It smells alright, at least.

Paper stars are starting to show up in weird places. I'm not sure how Marx is placing them so covertly. I found like five in the cabinet. Am I just going to have to deal with nonsense like this now? Maybe keeping him around was a mistake. At least they're cute...?

On another topic, I put on one of my favorite childhood movies earlier. Nostalgia's weird. The movie sucks but it still makes me feel warm and fuzzy. I can still basically quote it too... and I'm trying not to get sad about the past, but it definitely makes me feel.

I've tasted the stew and it's pretty good. There's hope for my cooking abilities yet! 

DATE 8.62.20 LOG  
It's been a very, very slow and unproductive day. I'm not sure why, really! All I've done is stuff my face with cake and leftover stew (it turned out pretty good, honestly) and play puzzle games.

I didn't notice before but after looking for info on NOVA I kinda left the library in a mess. I haven't done any sort of cleaning or tidying in a while. So there's plans for tomorrow. I need to try at the replicators again but I'll give them a while longer to make up a problem I can actually fix. If they don't show a problem within the next week I might be in trouble. I hate having to stop for supplies every so often and I really want to get Marx back his clothes, because, update, he stopped wearing what I bought him on Tarithni and has commandeered a fraction of my wardrobe. I could have told him no, but... it's hard. And I do really doubt he'd listen.

...I also haven't done laundry in a little bit and I realize someone has witnessed me rewearing the same things. That's embarrassing.

Marx was clingy again today and rambled, and I caught something about a friend he had that liked puzzle games too. I didn't really catch their name but he kinda spoke like he liked them a lot. It almost made me want to laugh. I didn't, of course, but he was just obvious about his admiration of them. I'm not an expert on the topic though. Maybe he's just being normal about his close friend and I'm drawing conclusions. It doesn't really matter, does it?

They sound nice either way. A big puzzle fanatic, but nice. I'm not really a puzzle enthusiast but it passes the time.

DATE 8.63.1 LOG  
Okay, cleaning day 1 out of the way.

I reorganized a good bit of the library. Got the books sorted back by type and subject matter. Dusted off the shelves. It's looking pretty nice! I have a lot more books than I ever think I do, honestly, and I pick up more all the time...

I noticed Marx picked up that novel I finished the other day (I'd left it on the table, so it's not like, a weird coincidence). Would it be evil of me to spoil the end? I just really get the urge to. Though I'm wondering if something's up with it. He's been making weird faces at it. Is he that disgusted by the fictional romance?

Or maybe he needs glasses. That might be a thing. I might have to replicate him a pair when I get to that. He didn't have any when I found him but I don't think that means he didn't ever have them. Just kinda guessing at this though. He squints really hard at the book sometimes.

The rest of the ship definitely needs some work on cleaning, but the library was kind of a big feat. I had really let it get out of hand. Books everywhere. I'll work on laundry tomorrow, I think, and plan out how to tackle the rest of what needs to be done. For now, it's been a while since I really really relaxed. Gonna go hop in the sauna for a bit and get some thoughts in order.

DATE 8.63.4 LOG  
Laundry's finally done, put away, and sorted out. I hate laundry so much. Passionately. So I'm very glad it's done with! It took up pretty much all of the last two days!! 

I've decided to forfeit some of my dresses to Marx for good... Reluctantly. I haven't worn any of those in at least 50 stellar months so I won't miss them but I'm just giving him my things now I guess. What's next, I start serving him breakfast in bed? (Er... couch???)

Maybe I'm just feeling bitter because I've been working a lot on cleaning up. I'm about to throw together something to eat and watch some game shows with Marx. Probably Wheel of Fortune or something. I'm super on edge today and I need to, like, stop thinking about anything meaningful for a while. Maybe light a candle or something and stare at the flame for a bit.

The paper stars seem to be multiplying, also. Still not sure how they're getting where they are without me noticing. Sneaky little clown.

DATE 8.63.5 LOG  
I need a new hairbrush. The one I had decided to wimp out and snap when I was getting knots out. I mean, I don't brush my hair often, maybe that's what I get. I do need to trim my hair soon too, so I guess next stop I'll look into that. For now I'm going to ignore my hair.

As for the rest of the day, I was going to set myself on cleaning the bathroom but. I really, really didn't want to. And I got distracted breaking my hairbrush. Not meant to be today. So instead I just sat around and built a really awful house in Minecraft. Like, I just decided to do the worst thing I could manage. I kept laughing when looking at it. Marx came over and laughed at it too and I briefly wondered if I should be offended he's laughing at my work but it's seriously just so stupid looking, he's right to. He actually offered some suggestions for making it worse. Together we can create the absolute biggest eyesore possible.

That was really fun, building something awful together, even if I was totally procrastinating by doing it. Marx has an eye for the absolutely painful. We haven't really hung out other than occupying the same space yet, now that I think about it. I mean, he babbles at me other times, but we were actually kinda having a back-and-forth there. He seems fun. We've made small talk over meals and stuff like that, but it's really nice enjoying a game or something actively with someone else, though it really isn't something I'm used to. Like, I don't usually think about anyone else's input when doing stupid things like that... I just do them, have my own little laugh, and go on.

We burned down the atrocity of a building afterwards, also.

I'm stuck between being frustrated that I procrastinated the day away and just enjoying the time I had. Hmm. Either way, tomorrow's bathroom cleaning day. Fun fun.

That was sarcasm.

DATE 8.63.6 LOG  
Incredibly tired now, but I was extra productive! Bathroom's very tidy now. I think I can wipe down the kitchen counter tomorrow and call cleaning done. Maybe I can bribe Marx into doing it instead now that I'm not solely responsible for everything around here.

For now, I've basically turned into a puddle on the couch. Couch puddle. Marx put on a record I had sitting around. It's some soft acoustic music. Honestly I forget I can just... listen to music sometimes? The atmosphere in here's very nice now, very cozy. I'm about to go make some tea after I get done writing. It'd be absolute bliss if I wasn't in pain from cleaning. Wonder if Marx would be mad if I fell asleep on his sleeping couch. That probably won't stop me, but I have to wonder.

I gotta make sure I have tea crackers still. I don't think I'll dock just to get crackers but I'll be kinda sad if I'm out.

DATE 8.63.7 LOG  
Marx tried to give me a fucking heart attack today. He was poking out on the deck and nearly slipped off the side and out of the Lor's gravity field. I had to save him AGAIN.

This clown is going to be more trouble than he's worth! 

The rest of the day was not particularly eventful. After I got my heart rate back to a not-dying level I started tinkering with some machine I'd made up a long while ago. I'm not even sure what it does. It gets hot and makes a whirring noise and that's all I could tell. I guess I either never finished it or I broke it. I can't seem to find logs from when I made it so I probably never recorded its purpose. I might repurpose it into something useful-- dunno what-- but for now I'll just put it aside. Let's just hope it doesn't try and explode.

DATE 8.63.10 LOG  
It's getting a little dull around here. I'd try and engage Marx but I don't know what we'd do other than talk and that's... not entertainment. Despite him being an entertainer. I do talk to him anyway. He's cool. He likes to debate trivia questions with me.

But otherwise it's kind of boring around here. I've lived this way my whole life but only now is it getting mundane...? Weird. Maybe I'm just forgetting to actually do things for fun because not being alone is a distraction. Don't know. It's all felt weird since Marx showed up so that's really possible.

Anyway, as something to spice up the time, I found a recipe card I picked up on Tarithni for a sour fruit and meat pie. It came highly recommended by the vendors and nearby people alike, so even if it sounds weird as hell, maybe it'll be good. And I am not doing this alone, either the cooking or the eating! Gonna rope Marx into cutting fruit for me. I need to convince him to cook for me sometime...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter gets kinda mundane sorry u.u I promise you plot in the future
> 
> Also there's implied one-sided past Marx/Gryll in this fic.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shorter chapter but i havent updated in 4 weeks and am a bit blocked. sorry bout that

DATE 8.63.11 LOG  
The sour fruit and meat pie was not good. I've been feeling ill all day. I think one of the fruits did not agree with me.

Damn new experiences.

I did work on balancing finances and stuff today though. Running a bit low on savings but it'll be a while before I need to go get more.

I can't write much more today, I need to go wallow. At least Marx seemed to enjoy it. Recipe card is going right in the trash.

DATE 8.63.12 LOG  
Felt a bit better today! Still sat around doing nothing though. Played some more puzzle games, which prompted Marx to chatter about his friend again. Their name's Gryll and I think he misses them. It'd be nice to meet them someday, but I'm not wanting to hop into Marx's dimension any time soon... It may sound selfish of me, but multidimensional travel isn't... fuel efficient. Or easy. I've popped into other dimensions briefly but navigation's very unreliable outside of our home dimension.

Maybe someday I'll take Marx back home. If he ever asks. He might not even want to actually return, but it is pretty unlikely Gryll would end up in this dimension, so to see them again, he'd have to.

Huh. It does make me think about how he's never even tried to address the topic of getting back to his own dimension, much less home planet. I wonder if he didn't have ties back home or if he's hiding from something. Or maybe he's scared to ask. I doubt that one, because he doesn't really restrain himself. He's very headstrong.

He's made my ship his home with little looking back. That's something to think on...

DATE 8.63.13 LOG  
Today I actually remembered I can, in fact, put music on. I worked on that little pointless machine from the other day. I think I'll make a little theremin type of thing. Actually taking inspiration from my surroundings for once!

Sadly I ate the last of those small cakes today. Marx went to eat it right after I'd grabbed it and he's been overexaggeratedly pouting about it ever since. Poor guy.

I'll need to remember how distance sensors work for the theremin thing. I wonder if I even have materials. It's nothing urgent, anyway, so I can probably dig in one of the scrapyards near Halcandra when I refuel. Until then I'll think of something more unique to do with it besides a simple theremin.

I got tired of messing with it though, so I took a well-needed nap. I didn't realize I hadn't slept well last night until I grabbed one of the really soft blankets and passed out on the couch. I did wake up to Marx having set an orange perfectly atop my head, right between the ears. It actually balanced there for a few minutes. He said he got bored and I was in his sleeping spot. Which I was, so fair enough I guess. He likes doing goofy things like that...

I ate the orange afterwards and thanked him for the gracious gift. It was really close to going bad. Might have to make another shopping stop. Urghhhhhh.

DATE 8.63.14 LOG  
I've got the worst crick in my neck right now. It's super annoying. :(

I was slouching kind of weird when reading today so I guess this is what I get. I think I slept wrong too. I woke up almost in the evening. No idea why I was out so long. Marx said he was worried that I had died. I don't think he was being serious.

I didn't have a whole lot of time to do anything because even after I woke up I just felt groggy. I've been thinking on the theremin project and I might add some cool lights to match the tones. It'll end up as just a toy but I think it'll be fun!

Also on a more disconcerting note the thing I've been reading today was kind of nuts? It's about some of the leadup to the Ancient's War, the power the Jambandrans sought. Not really about the Jambandrans though. There's evidence that this power may have already existed? Anecdotal evidence of possessions being backed up with small samples of artificial "dark matter".

Those claiming to have been possessed and their friends say there were physical changes to their bodies during possession and they had... adverse reactions to exposure to the samples after the fact. Some of the descriptions were really grotesque so I put the book down for the rest of the day. I mean, really grotesque, to the point I was kind of flinching at every mention. The blankness they described feeling when possessed... It seems miserable. I guess they couldn't feel miserable if they didn't feel at all, though...?

Anyway so apparently that's a thing. Either that or it's a very elaborate hoax. Or this is a work of fiction, but it's an excellently written one if it is! It's marked as nonfiction though. Very scary either way. I don't think I'd be wanting to seek this power or even create stable samples of it in a lab or something? That seems poorly thought out, even without the possession.

DATE 8.63.16 LOG  
Read about some old Halcandran festivals today. A lot were celebrated long after the original myths became obscure. I remember having small celebrations of a few of them when I was little, but I think after Nama passed we stopped. My favorites were the Planetary Gifts because what kid doesn't like getting new things and the Golden Festival because Nama made the best golden fritters for it... My mind's wandering off again. Funnily enough, I didn't realize the Clockwatcher's Day was related to the clockwork stars. I thought we just had a holiday dedicated to clocks.

It is pretty interesting to see what kind of stuff Halcandrans used to do together. I sometimes wish I could experience parades and festivals and stuff of my own people...

I'm still stuck on the thought of Nama's fritters. I wonder if the cookbook has their recipe...? I can't actually remember if it was Nama that made them now. They compiled that cookbook I have though. Maybe I'll have to schedule some small celebrations for the Golden Festival. If I screw up the fritters I can dump them on Marx.

And oh my god I just realized I haven't aligned my calendar with any of the nearby planets' calendars. I need to do that tomorrow. I totally blanked.

Now I can't remember what else I was going to write. It's late though. I should get to sleep. Have a lot of thinking work to do tomorrow now that I remembered that, so I need to rest up!

DATE 8.63.17 LOG  
Gonna be pretty concise in this one because I'm starting to see calendars in the edge of my vision. Like my dreams are just gonna be calendars. I hate calendar dreams, it literally happens every time I do the alignments, they're always weird and I don't usually sleep well.

I did find that Gyleinos is having their Bloodsele soon! That always scares me to say but it's not. Literal. Though there's a lot of red going on, and they do have red blood. It's fun anyway. I haven't been to Gyleinos in a long while...

I haven't spoken to Inety in a while either! I still need to repay them for helping with my implants. I meant to build them something but I'm low on parts and. Yeah, good old replicators.

Wonder if that thing I'm turning into a theremin was a gift for them I forgot about. Whoops.

But yeah, I think I'll swing by in the next few days to celebrate on Gyleinos and say hi to Inety.

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback is always appreciated! Thanks for reading :]


End file.
